Heber-Kamas Ranger District: (435) 654-0470 and (435) 783-4338 – Christmas tree permits will be sold on Friday, November 5, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., and Saturday, November 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. at the Soldier Hollow Lodge. The $10 permits are for areas within the Heber Permit Area, Heber-Kamas Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Permits are for personal use only. One permit per adult (16 years of age and older) will be sold on a first come, first- served basis. Young adults will be required to show their drivers license at time of purchase.

One thousand (1,000) permits will be available on Friday and 1,000 permits will be available on Saturday. Any remaining permits will be sold beginning Monday, November 9 at the Heber-Kamas Ranger District Office, Heber Office Location, 2460 South Highway 40, Heber, City. Only subalpine fir trees 20 feet tall or shorter may be cut and removed. All trees must be tagged before removing them from the area. Soldier Hollow Lodge is located at 2002 Soldier Hollow Drive, in Midway, Utah. Directions and a map are available on the internet at http://www.soldierhollow.com/map.php.

We started a new family tradition about four years ago when we moved to a new house with a two-story family room. Our son Bryan insisted it was time to have a “real” Live Christmas Tree! It took some searching and the forest service does provide limited amounts of tree permits. We have tried two forests in Utah – one near Nephi, Utah in the Sanpete Uinta National Forest and the other is the Heber-Kamas Ranger District in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. We have a story behind each year we go. One year some adult children thought there wouldn’t be much snow. So no coats, no boots or gloves. They froze! One year for some reason we found a tree high on a mountain and we had to roll it down to get it to the car! Some years it is snowing and freezing and others it is a beautiful, crystal, blue day. We all look forward to tromping through the forest to find our “perfect tree”. The guys all take a turn at the saw to cut down our Live Christmas Tree.

It does take some early planning. We start the weekend after Halloween. To purchase your Christmas tree permit for the Heber-Kamas Ranger District you arrive early at Soldier Hollow and wait in line with warm coats and blankets. And bring a chair to sit and chat. Some bring hot cocoa, lots of tech gadgets, or a football to throw. It is quite festive as we all wait to get our numbered arm bracelet to purchase a tree permit at 8am. The line starts about 6am.

Here is a link with information to the Utah Forests Ranger Districts that offer Christmas Tree Permits.